Chen Weijie

Achieving efficient bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells from blends of solution-processable small-molecule (SM) donors and acceptors is proved particularly challenging due to the complexity in obtaining a favorable donor–acceptor morphology. In this report, the BHJ device performance pattern of a set of analogous, well-defined SM donors—DR3TBDTT (DR3), SMPV1, and BTR—used in conjunction with the SM acceptor IDTTBM is examined. Examinations show that the nonfullerene “All-SM” BHJ solar cells made with DR3 and IDTTBM can achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to ≈4.5% (avg. 4.0%) when the solution-processing additive 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO, 0.8% v/v) is used in the blend solutions. The figures of merit of optimized DR3:IDTTBM solar cells contrast with those of “as-cast” BHJ devices from which only modest PCEs <1% can be achieved. Combining electron energy loss spectrum analyses in scanning transmission electron microscopy mode, carrier transport measurements via “metal-insulator-semiconductor carrier extraction” methods, and systematic recombination examinations by light-dependence and transient photocurrent analyses, it is shown that DIO plays a determining role—establishing a favorable lengthscale for the phase-separated SM donor–acceptor network and, in turn, improving the balance in hole/electron mobilities and the carrier collection efficiencies overall.

A set of structurally analogous small-molecule (SM) donors with distinct side-chain manifolds shows significant differences in their performance patterns in bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) devices with the nonfullerene SM acceptor IDTTBM. Reducing the lengthscale of the phase-separated network between donor and acceptor effectively suppresses nongeminate recombination in the BHJ active layers and improves the carrier mobility balance.

In this work, room-temperature-operated ultrasensitive solution-processed perovskite photodetectors (PDs) with near infrared (NIR) photoresponse are reported. In order to enable perovskite PDs possessing extended NIR photoresponse, novel n-type low bandgap conjugated polymer, poly[(N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide-2,6-diyl) (2,5-dioctyl-3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4-dione-5,5′-diyl)] (NDI-DPP), which has strong absorption in the NIR region, is developed and then employed in perovskite PDs. By the formation of type II band alignment between NDI-DPP with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), the NIR absorption of NDI-DPP is exploited, which contributes to the NIR photoresponse for the perovskite PDs, where perovskite is incorporated with NDI-DPP and SWCNTs as well. In addition, SWCNTs incorporated with perovskite active layer can offer the percolation pathways for high charge-carrier mobility, which tremendously boosts the charge transfer in the photoactive layer, and consequently improves the photocurrent in the visible region. As a result, the perovskite PDs exhibit the responsivities of ≈400 and ≈150 mA W⁻¹ and the detectivities of over 6 × 10¹² Jones (1 Jones = 1 cm Hz^1/2 W⁻¹) and over 2 × 10¹² Jones in the visible and NIR regions, respectively. This work reports the development of perovskite PDs with NIR photoresponse, which is terrifically beneficial for the practical applications of perovskite PDs.

Room temperature operated uncooled broadband ultrasensitive photodetectors with the responsivities of 400 and 150 mA W^-1 and the detectivities of over 6 × 10¹² and 2 × 10¹² Jones in the visible and near infrared regions are realized by utilization of perovskite incorporated with novel n-type low-bandgap conjugated polymer and single-wall carbon nanotubes through type II band alignment.

In this work, a nonfullerene polymer solar cell (PSC) based on a wide bandgap polymer donor PM6 containing fluorinated thienyl benzodithiophene (BDT-2F) unit and a narrow bandgap small molecule acceptor 2,2′-((2Z,2′Z)-((4,4,9,9-tetrahexyl-4,9-dihydro-s-indaceno[1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene-2,7-diyl)bis(methanylylidene))bis(3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene-2,1-diylidene))dimalononitrile (IDIC) is developed. In addition to matched energy levels and complementary absorption spectrum with IDIC, PM6 possesses high crystallinity and strong π–π stacking alignment, which are favorable to charge carrier transport and hence suppress recombination in devices. As a result, the PM6:IDIC-based PSCs without extra treatments show an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.9%, which is the record value for the as-cast PSC devices reported in the literature to date. Moreover, the device performances are insensitive to the active layer thickness (≈95–255 nm) and device area (0.20–0.81 cm²) with PCEs of over 11%. Besides, the PM6:IDIC-based flexible PSCs with a large device area of 1.25 cm² exhibit a high PCE of 6.54%. These results indicate that the PM6:IDIC blend is a promising candidate for future roll-to-roll mass manufacturing and practical application of highly efficient PSCs.

An efficient polymer solar cell (PSC) based on a polymer donor PM6 containing BDT-2F unit and an n-type organic semiconductor acceptor, IDIC, is developed. The power conversion efficiencies of PSCs without extra treatments reach up to 11.9% and are insensitive to the active layer thickness (95–225 nm) and device area (0.20–0.81 cm²), with values of over 11%.

The considerable improvement on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) for emerging nonfullerene polymer solar cells is still limited by considerable voltage losses that have become one of the most significant obstacles in further boosting desired photovoltaic performance. Here, a comprehensive study is reported to understand the impacts of charge transport, energetic disorder, and charge transfer states (CTS) on the losses in open-circuit voltage (V_oc) based on three high performing bulk heterojunction solar cells with the best PCE exceeding 11%. It is found that the champion poly[(2,6-(4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene)-co-(1,3-di(5-thiophene-2-yl)-5,7-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c′]dithiophene-4,8-dione))] (PBDB-T):IT-M solar cell (PCE = 11.5%) is associated with the least disorder. The determined energetic disorder in part reconciles the difference in V_oc between the solar cells. A reduction is observed in the nonradiative losses (ΔV_nonrad) coupled with the increase of energy of CTS for the PBDB-T:IT-M device, which may be related to the improved balance in carrier mobilities, and partially can explain the gain in V_oc. The determined radiative limit for V_oc combined with the ΔV_nonrad generates an excellent agreement for the V_oc with the experimental values. The results suggest that minimizing the energetic disorder related to transport and CTS is critical for the mitigation of V_oc losses and improvements on the device performance.

Voltage losses and charge transport in three representative bulk heterojunction solar cells are investigated. By temperature-dependent open-circuit voltage (V_oc) analysis and photovoltaic electroluminescence spectroscopy, we find that the increased V_oc in the champion IT-M cell with an excellent balance in mobility is associated with reduced energetic disorder at the D/A interface and non-redative recombination losses at charge transfer states.

Recently, the influence of molecular weight (M_n) on the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs) is widely investigated. However, the dependence of optimal thickness of active layer for PSCs on M_n is not reported yet, which is vital to the solution printing technology. In this work, the effect of M_n on the efficiency and especially optimal thickness of the active layer for PBTIBDTT-S-based PSCs is systematically studied. The device efficiency improves significantly as the M_n increases from 12 to 38 kDa, and a remarkable efficiency of 10.1% is achieved, which is among the top efficiencies of wide-bandgap polymer:fullerene PSCs. Furthermore, the optimal thickness of the active layer is also greatly increased from 62 to 210 nm with increased M_n. Therefore, a device employing a thick (>200 nm) active layer with power conversion efficiency exceeding 10% is achieved by manipulating M_n. This exciting result is attributed to both the improved crystallinity, thus hole mobility, and preferable polymer orientation, thus morphology of active layer. These findings, for the first time, highlight the significant impact of M_n on the optimal thickness of active layer for PSCs and provide a facile way to further improve the performance of PSCs employing a thick active layer.

As the molecular weight (M_n) of PBTIBDTT-S increases from 12 to 38 kDa, the efficiency and optimal thickness of the active layer are simultaneously improved from 6.99% to 10.11% and from 62 to 210 nm, respectively. This result demonstrates the importance of M_n in achieving highly efficient devices under a thick active layer.